


January

by smallerluke



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: M/M, Reaper76 Secret Santa, snow and lots of it, surprise vacation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-29
Updated: 2017-12-29
Packaged: 2019-02-23 08:58:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,082
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13186734
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smallerluke/pseuds/smallerluke
Summary: My secret santa for Hippo-dog!They requested 1)Both of them going out while it snows 2) Snowball fight 3) Anything related to snow reallyHope you like it! Happy holidays ♥





	January

**Author's Note:**

> My secret santa for Hippo-dog!  
> They requested 1)Both of them going out while it snows 2) Snowball fight 3) Anything related to snow really
> 
> Hope you like it! Happy holidays ♥

December has its charms.

To start, it never gets too cold. The snow that falls is soft and light and usually doesn’t stick on the ground except up in the mountains that frame Zurich. The mountains are easy to avoid, and Gabriel can bundle up and make excuses to stay in while Rein, Torb, and Jack venture out to go ice fishing. There’s lots to do on base, anyway; Blackwatch never sleeps, and there are Chanukah and Christmas parties to plan. With lights up to celebrate both holidays and the general attitude on base brightening, the whole month is easily one of his favorites.

After the parties, though, after visiting family in L.A. and soaking up the sun, he has to go back.

January is cold and vile. The wind cuts through him no matter how many layers he puts on, the lake starts to freeze, and the snow sticks to the ground and piles up outside his window; a brutal, stark reminder of just how damn  _ cold _ Switzerland gets.

When he pulls himself out of bed at noon on January first, the first thing he does is put on his slippers and housecoat before braving the flat. The fireplace in the living room burns low. Jack must have lit it before leaving. He flops onto the couch and pulls every spare blanket within reach over his shoulders. Too damn cold, even indoors. 

Jack comes through the door in the afternoon, covered in flakes of melting snow and carting two steaming paper cups. “Hey, angel. Happy new year.”

He leans over the back of the couch to kiss him, his lips still cold. Gabriel shivers as he pulls away, retreating into his nest of blankets. He takes the offering of one of the cups and sips, watching Jack from the corner of his eye as he shucks off his coat and boots at the front door. “How’d the meeting go?”

“Meeting?”

“Yeah, with Varkas?”

Jack stills halfway through pulling off his pauldrons. “Oh. I might have lied.”

“ _ Might _ have?”

For a moment Gabriel’s gut turns icy, but Jack doesn’t look nervous. He’s a shit liar, his one major flaw in his blossoming career as a politician. His only tactic is to avoid the questions completely, which is exactly what he starts to do as he begins to ramble. 

“Rein told me about this excellent cafe downtown, and you know how that becomes a fuss, gotta drag out security so I can get an Americano. Nice place. Yours is a peppermint mocha, I hope that’s okay, I wasn’t sure if you’d want that or a latte today—”

“Jack.”

“Okay, I did have a meeting today. Just not with Varkas.” Jack keeps his eyes on his gauntlets, fumbling with the straps. “I met with a travel agent.”

His pauldrons hit the floor with a clunk. Gabriel glares at him until Jack sheepishly recovers his mess and moves the pieces into the bedroom where they belong. When he comes back he’s down to a t-shirt and boxers, holding a manila folder in one hand.

He settles down on the couch with a sigh and plops the folder into his lap. “I wanted to surprise you.”

Gabriel pulls himself up to sit and slowly frees his arms from his fortress of blankets. The folder is blank and thin. His heart beats faster as he thumbs at the cover, slowly pulling it open, savoring the possibility. Travel agent is a dead giveaway. They’ve accumulated a lot of time off, and both of them need a break, and time for them to enjoy their marriage—

“Open it,” Jack says, voice soft.

Gabriel does as he asks. He gently picks up two flight tickets, his breath catching. “Surprise vacation?”

“You’ve more than earned it.” Jack swoops in to loudly kiss his cheek, his stubble grating against his skin. He laughs anyway as he sorts through the papers, his excitement snowballing. “You’ve been working so hard, angel. Time to catch a break, yeah?”

He turns into Jack to catch his lips. He’s still cold but he doesn’t mind so much, not now that his mind is painting a picture of the two of them in the Mediterranean, toes in the sand and drinks in hand.

Heart pounding, he picks up the flight tickets. “KRN…” The airport code doesn’t ring a bell. “Alright, spill.”

“It’s Kiruna.”

Gabriel stills. “Sorry?

“Yeah. You know. Sweden.”

Sweden. Alright. Gabriel squints at the ticket. “...Is that our stopover?”

Jack’s grin grows. He reaches for the folder. “I was lucky to get us these reservations last minute,” he says, “Waitlist can get pretty long.”

“Waitlist…”

“How’s three nights at the Ice Hotel sound?”

Gabriel’s blood runs cold. He stares at Jack, his heart stopped. “Ice hotel.”

“You should see these pictures, Gabe.” He pulls out his phone, but Gabriel can’t focus as he flips through an album. It’s pretty, sure, but it’s literally  _ made of ice _ .

“This is romantic in theory, but it’s January.”

“Yeah.”

“And we’re going to Sweden?”

“Yes?”

“This hotel is made of ice, Jack.”

“That’s the draw.”

“It’s January.”

“I don’t think they build ice hotels in the summer.”

“Jack, this is very sweet, but I’ll die. I’ll literally die.”

“You won’t. They’re not as cold as they look. Besides, I’ll be there to keep you warm.” Jack, the sappy bastard, takes his face in his hands and gently kisses him, as if to seal that promise. Gabriel groans until Jack releases him and sits back, his eyes narrowed. 

“You...don’t like the idea, do you?” His voice is flat, defeated. Jack rubs a hand over his eyes. “I should’ve asked Ana and not Torb. Damn it.”

“Hey, hey. Hang on.” Gabriel reaches for his hand. It’s not like Jack to go out of his way to plan something like this. Never has been a traditional romantic. Gabriel had always known, but it had become  _ very _ clear when they’d planned their wedding two years ago and Jack had wanted their guests to be served cheeseburgers and poutine for dinner and to walk down the aisle accompanied by a bagpiper’s rendition of  _ I Will Always Love You.  _ This is exactly in character for Jack. The dates he plan usually seem terrible in theory, but in practice…well. Here goes. Gabriel squeezes his hand. “You went out of your way to plan this for me, so we’re going. You just gotta make good on your promise to keep me warm. Deal?”

“Deal.” Jack kisses him again before darting off the couch. “Better get packing, Gabe. We’re leaving tomorrow morning.”

He sighs as he melts back onto the couch. Last minute. That’s just like Jack.

-

“You’re overthinking this,” Ana says curtly, “Just stay indoors and you’ll be fine.”

Gabriel glares at her over the coat rack. She ignores him completely, her attention focused on Fareeha, who’s curled around Ana’s neck, pulling on her hijab. 

It’s nice to be out shopping like it’s just an average day, even if they’re conspicuous with the company of three guards. 

He pulls a heavy down coat off the rack. It’s plain black and extraordinarily expensive. “In the event of my untimely death, I wish to bestow to you, my best friend, Ana Amari, the contents of my Blackwatch locker. And to Fareeha Amari.” He waits for the toddler to turn her big brown eyes on him, but she’s focused on her task. “I  _ may _ have stockpiled toys for when she’s older.”

Ana’s eyes sparkle. “Of course you did.”

Gabriel slips on the coat. It’s heavy but will probably do the job fine. “How do I look?”

He twists to model the coat. Ana rolls her eyes. “You always look fine,” she sighs. “Now, let’s buy it and go. You promised me dinner.”

They eat downtown. It’s rare that they get to enjoy any of the perks of living in a city like Zurich. The restaurant is warm and the food good and when snow starts to fall outside the windows, Gabriel feels at ease, like the morning might not be so bad.

-

He changes his mind when he walks into a freezing-cold hangar at five in the morning.

Jack tugs on his arm. “You still good, Gabe?”

“Still good,” he sighs. His breath hangs on the air. Too goddamn cold. He’s wearing his new coat and his beanie but neither are doing enough to keep him warm. He speedwalks toward the waiting craft. “I updated my will last night.”

Jack stops dead in his tracks. “You’re joking, right?”

He shrugs. “It needed to be updated anyway.”

“Gabriel, you’re going to be fine.” Jack takes one of his hands and brings it to his mouth to kiss his knuckles. “Promise.”

“Next year you’re taking me to Hawaii.”

“Deal.”

-

The last thing Gabriel wants to do is get off the shuttle. Getting his ass out of the taxi when they arrive is even harder. 

Light snow swirls outside. It’s gusty and the wind is dry and cold but at least it’s a real town. All the warmth is sapped out of him the moment he steps out of the taxi. He’s grateful when Jack winds an arm around his shoulders. 

“Ain’t that a sight.”

Well, it  _ is _ something to see, that’s for sure. Snow and ice are pretty to look at. “I guess,” he huffs, “Now let’s get our asses inside before I turn into a meat popsicle.”

Jack laughs as he kisses his cheek and pulls him into a walk.

Without the cutting wind, it’s considerably warmer inside. Gabriel takes the bags as Jack leads them down a glittering hall. Snow crunches underfoot as they make their way through winding halls to arrive at their room.

He bounces on his feet as Jack takes his time to unlock the door. “Come on, come on.”

Jack sighs. “There are warm rooms here, too. If you hate it that much we’ll move.”

“I didn’t say I hated it.”

Jack eyes him as he pushes the door open. Gabriel drops his bags.

It’s...beautiful. The ceiling is tall and intricately carved. Soft light bleeds from tiny depressions in the walls. There’s two chairs  carved from blocks of ice in front of a mock fireplace, complete with a decorated mantle. The bed is four postered and covered in what look like furs, and…

“Jack.”

His husband plops down on the bed and throws him a massive grin. “Yeah?”

“That’s...ice.”

Jack tips his head. “Yeah?”

“No, I mean. The bed. The bed is made of ice?”

“Yep.” Jack stretches his arms over his head and falls backwards. He gestures for Gabriel. “Wanna break it in?”

“I am  _ not _ getting naked right now.”

“You can leave your coat on.”

Gabriel snorts. He darts for the bed and climbs over Jack, jabbing fingers into his side. “You asshole,” he laughs, delighting in how Jack squirms away from his cold hands. “Love of my life.” He lets up to kiss him, then slides off the bed. There’s a door off to the side. “What’s over here?”

“Bathroom, probably,” Jack says. “We’ve got all we could need and more.”

Gabriel swings the door open wide. “All we could need includes a sauna, apparently.”

“Hot tub, too.”

“Thought the whole point was to pay to freeze to death.”

“Honeymoon suite, babe.”

“Well, enjoy your trip.” Gabriel shucks off his coat and toes out of his boots as he mashes the buttons on the hot tub, joy spreading through him as it begins to hum and bubble. Jets.  _ Nice _ . “I’ll be right here if you need me.”

“Three days in a hot tub? You’re gonna look like a prune when we leave.”

“Better a prune than a popsicle.”

“There room in there for two?”

Gabriel sticks his head out the door. “Get your ass in here.”

-

His plan to stay in the warmth of the tub doesn’t stick. Jack has dinner reservations and it’s a little boring in there after Jack leaves to get dressed. Begrudgingly, he pulls himself out of paradise.

Wool socks, turtleneck, coat, beanie, mittens. It’s not as cold as he expected inside the hotel. 

The restaurant is also made of ice, because  _ of course  _ it is. A waiter seats them and hands them menus that Gabriel can barely open with his mittens on.

“The food here is supposed to be incredible,” Jack says, “I think it might make the difference for you.”

“The difference in what?”

“Whether you still love me when we get back or not.”

Gabriel snorts. Jack sticks out his tongue. 

They order drinks and both decide on the steak. Jack reclines and lets out a happy sigh, closing his eyes for a moment. “Sitting in here is kinda like being in a rink.”

“How’s that?”

“Cold air. I don’t know. Feels the same. You’d know if you ever came skating with me.”

“Maybe one day.”

“Oh?”

“I’ll make you a deal. Come to karaoke nights, sing me some Whitney Houston, and I’ll haul my ass out on the ice.”

Jack scrunches up his nose. “I’m not sure that’s worth the years of public embarrassment.”

The waiter returns with their drinks. Gabriel turns his around. “The glass is ice, too.”

“Kind of the whole theme, sunshine.”

Despite the freezing glass, the drink warms his stomach. The food is just as good as he’d hoped, the steak a perfect medium rare. 

Jack talks as he chews. So much for table manners. “So, I was thinking.”

He lifts his eyes. Jack turns a little pink under his scrutiny and swallows before he continues. “I wanted to run plans by you in advance. So...if you’re not interested, we can find something else to do.” He shrugs loosely. “Fair warning. Most of them take place outside.”

“Off to a terrible start,” Gabriel teases.

Jack stuffs another piece of steak into his mouth and chews thoughtfully. Gabriel sips his drink as he waits for his husband to sort out his words.

“It’s actually unseasonably warm,” Jack says slowly, “And it’s been sunny out, so, snowshoeing would be nice. The hotel has shoes we can rent and...we don’t have to go out for too long, but it’s beautiful here.” 

“Alright.”

“Alright?”

Gabriel shrugs. “It’s just a walk in the snow. I can handle that.”

“I love you.”

“Love you too,” Gabriel sighs. “Oh. You know what else we should do?”

“What’s that?”

“Catch some Northern Lights.”

Jack’s expression softens. He reaches across the table to grab Gabriel’s mitten. “Remember the first time we saw them?”

“How could I forget? Holed up at an outpost in Finland, just the six of us in a tiny shack with nothing but a space heater to keep us warm.”

“And each other.”

“I recall Torb not being overly fond of that night’s mandated cuddle session.”

Jack lets out a laugh and squeezes his hand, his smile widening. “Middle of the night you got up for watch and you came right back in, woke me up, and dragged me outside.” He sighs, lowers his chin into his hand. Eyes soft, his smile waning, he continues. “Never seen anything like it, but damn, still can’t compare to that look in your eyes.”

Gabriel feels his face flush. “C’mon.”

“I’ll book us a trip. Hopefully the sky stays clear.” Jack perks up when the waiter returns to take their empty plates. “You feeling dessert?”

“Not tonight.”

“I’m gonna talk to the front desk. Meet you back at the room?”

“You got it.”

-

Gabriel stares at the bed.

It’s beautiful to look at but he’s doubtful about the sparse furs on the bed. Jack is a human furnace, sure, but it’s still made of  _ ice, _ and he’s chronically running cold. He shuffles his feet and eyes his suitcase. He’s brought his warmest pajamas and stolen a pair of Jack’s socks, but it might not be enough. Only one way to find out.

Gabriel peels out of his coat and sweater as fast as he can, scrambling into his pajamas. They’re chilled from sitting in the room so the second he’s dressed he dives into the bathroom to warm up. 

Once he feels a little warmer he ventures back into the bedroom and sits on the edge of the bed. His back will definitely hurt in the morning. He stretches out with a sigh just as Jack comes in the door.

“Everything’s set for the morning.” Jack sets some papers down on one of the chairs and slips out of his coat. “Cozy?”

“Not yet.”

Jack rushes through pulling off his coat and boots and gets changed fast, leaping into bed with a grin. By the time they both get settled, with Jack curled around him and the furs pulled up to their necks, it’s pretty damn warm, even if the bed is hard as a brick. Gabriel lets out a contented sigh and closes his eyes.

He falls asleep fast. In the middle of a light dream about Rein and Torb having an arm wrestling contest Jack stirs.

He turns onto his back. Jack’s warmth is a foot away. “Hey,” he grumbles, “Is it time to get up?”

Jack lets out a tight sigh. “No. I’m sorry, did I wake you?”

“It happens,” Gabriel yawns.

Jack lands on his shoulder with a grunt. “Bed’s too hard,” he groans, “And it’s too warm with you and too cold without you and there’s no middle.”

“Sucks to be you.”

“Thanks, babe.”

The next thing he knows, Gabriel is waking up to Jack’s phone alarm. He blinks sleep away from his eyes and lifts himself off the pillow. The room feels warmer, but there’s an empty space next to him. Gabriels stares at it as his foggy mind catches up.

“Jack?”

A blond head pops of out the bathroom. Dark circles frame his eyes. “Morning. We’ve got an hour before our hike,” he says, “I can still cancel if you’re not sure.”

Gabriel stretches an arm over his head. He can’t remember the last time he slept so soundly. “Think I’m good. Up for a shower?”

The shower’s a little too cramped for two super soldiers. Under a stream of water, Jack folds onto his shoulder. “You sure you don’t want to cancel and go back to bed?”

Gabriel chuckles. “Starting to think you don’t want to go for a walk.” Jack is silent. That tells him enough. Jack is cranky as hell when he doesn’t get enough sleep. “How about we decide after breakfast? Maybe you’ll feel better.”

“Pancakes fix everything.” Jack kisses his shoulder. “I need some coffee,” he sighs, breath warm against his skin. Big hands slide down Gabriel’s sides. “Maybe a kiss to keep me going.”

Gabriel twists to fulfill the request. Jack hums as he pulls away, barely hiding a smile.

-

They finally step outside at noon.

The sky is clear and the sun shimmers upon a stretch of unbroken snow. Snowshoes are a little awkward, but once he gets the hang of it, it’s simple. He follows after Jack, a ridge of pine trees on their flank, a GPS in hand.

It’s nice to just walk. The air is fresh and cold, invigorating. Jack falls back to grab his hand.

“This is nice,” he says.

“Yeah.” There are birds singing somewhere in the trees but otherwise it’s wonderfully  _ quiet. _ It’s never this quiet in Zurich, not even in their soundproofed apartment. Always something happening that requires the attention of one of them. Idly, he wonders how Ana is holding up as Command.

Jack squeezes his hand, breaking him out of his worries. Gabriel centers himself around his husband and pulls them to a stop, tugging his scarf down with his free hand. “You were right, Jack. This is incredible. Whole lot of  _ nothing. _ ” No people barking demands, no one shooting at them, no cameras. “I’m starting to think this trip was a great idea.”

“Oh?”

“I like the quiet.” He shrugs. “Sometimes, anyway.”

“And the snow?”

Gabriel hums. He lets go of Jack’s hand and reaches down to scoop some up in his mitten. It’s a perfect weight and forms easily into a snowball. 

“Hey now—”

Jack’s too slow to dart away. Gabriel twists and nails him in the shoulder, the snowball exploding in a puff. Jack stares at him, a glint in his eye, before he drops to grab a handful of his own.

Gabriel turns to run. For a second he forgets the snowshoes and he gracelessly fumbles, falling face-first into the snow. 

Before Gabriel can process the embarrassment Jack’s laughter rings out like thunder and warm hands pat against his back. “You okay, angel?”

He mumbles something that’s caught by the snow. 

Jack thumps his hand down again. “Gabe?”

Gabriel lifts his head as he turns onto his side, wiping his beard clean. He levels a glare at his husband. “Your fault.”

“He who throws the first snowball—”

Gabriel lurches for his knees. Jack lets out a squawk before falling to the snow beside him. Gabriel climbs over him and plops a handful of snow onto his face. Before Jack can brush it away he grabs more. Jack lets out peals of deep laughter as he tries to roll away, covering his face. “You never play fair.”

He takes hold of Jack’s hood and pulls him to his lips. He’s still cold but with the way Jack’s body is still shaking with laughter makes him want to hold on, to draw out the moment. When he finally lets his husband go, he flops back into the snow, a dazed grin spread across his face. 

A mitten gently cradles his cheek. “Look at you.”

The sun shines in Jack’s eyes. He looks terrible; red-faced from the cold, his eyes watery from laughing, dark circles framing his eyes, but Gabriel feels an ache in his chest. God, he  _ loves _ his man, this asshole who’s romantic in the most unexpected ways, this man who’s his best friend, his rock, his soulmate—

Jack’s visage cracks into a smile as he breaks to slam a handful of snow down Gabriel’s collar. He lets out a yelp, clawing at his coat with his mittens. “You jackass!” he screeches, “Oh, it’s on!”

His husband squirms free and gets to his feet somehow, breaking into a run. His laughter carries out across the snow covered fields.

Gabriel grins as he gives chase, a fresh snowball in hand.

-

After an early dinner they head back to their room to warm up, satisfied with nothing more than the weight of each other's bodies. They have an hour to spare before it'll be dark, and the forecast is promising. He wakes Jack with a kiss when it's time to get ready.

A staff member hands them a backpack before they venture outside to meet the driver. As they clamber into the backseat, Jack rifles through the contents. "Was thinking we'd sit out for a while," he says, "If we can stay warm enough." He pulls out a thermos. "Hot apple cider."

There's a blanket, too, and little handwarmer packets. Gabriel has doubts that the items will keep them warm, but he's in good spirits and doesn't say anything, just leans on his husband’s shoulder and watches the town flick by outside the window.

The sky is clear when the driver drops them off. He follows Jack up a trail in the snow.

They settle side by side at the top of a ridge, their backs shielded by trees, overlooking a dark body of water. Stars ripple on the surface. With no wind, he's almost warm when Jack wraps around him. 

Together, they cast their eyes up to the sky to catch a shimmering band of green. Gabriel grabs Jack’s hand and squeezes it. Together, they let out tight breaths.

The sky lights up, shifting from black to green. Light spreads across the snow and reflects on the surface of the lake. All thoughts leave Gabriel’s head as he watches the sky move and breathe.

“It’s better than I remember,” Jack says.

“I love you.”

“Love you too, angel.”

Jack snuggles closer as he unscrews the thermos. Gabriel takes the first sip of the steaming hot cider. With the sweetness of it on his tongue and the love of his life by his side, Gabriel can’t imagine being any happier, feeling more complete.

He rests his head on Jack’s shoulder. January may be bitter and cruel, but as long as Jack is by his side, Gabriel knows he’ll be warm.


End file.
